Taste problems...

[mmonteiro]

i've now done 2 batches... they both are the exact color they're supposed to be. yet they have a faint nail polish remover smell, and kind of taste like you would imagine nail poish remover too(much harder alchohol taste). im 99 percent sure they wern't infected either. they were in the fermenter for 2 weeks and bottled for 2 or 3 moths before putting them in the fridge... any idea why?

 

[Yooper]

A nail polish remover smell sounds like acetone.

That is usually caused by too-high fermentation temperatures, especially when combined with a bit of oxidation. It is also possible that non-food safe plastic leached out a bit of it, but only if you used some plastic that wasn't food safe.

My bet is one a too-high fermentation temperature, especially if the yeast was pitched at over 75 degrees and fermentation occurred over 75 degrees. The higher the temperature, usually the worse the acetone flavor/smell and "hot" alcohols.

 

[mmonteiro]

yea it was at 78 the whole time, which ik is really really really high. i didnt really have an option tho because it was summer, i used food safe buckets. so hopefully it was just the heat that gave it that taste, and my next batched durring the winter and fall will be better.

 

[andycr]

A swamp cooler is a good option. I keep it at 66º consistently in Arizona when it's 110º outside just with an outer bucket filled with water and some frozen water bottles thrown in a couple times a day.

Another option would be to brew a saison. They love those kinds of temps.

 

[gregfreemyer]

I'm a noob, but a swamp cooler (outer bucket filled with water and a $10 desk fan to force air over it) is dropping my temps about 5 or 10 degrees in georgia (higher humidity than arizona, so it doesn't work as well here.)

A couple times it got a little warm so I dropped a plastic nut jar full of frozen water bottle in. It kept it cool for about 12 hours.

 

[andycr]

I'm a noob, but a swamp cooler (outer bucket filled with water and a $10 desk fan to force air over it) is dropping my temps about 5 or 10 degrees in georgia (higher humidity than arizona, so it doesn't work as well here.)

I was surprised by how well it works here, but that makes sense. After the heat creating part of fermentation is done, I can just keep a t-shirt over it in the bucket and forget the ice bottles and it'll stay a rock solid 66º. Very handy to only have to ice the 'active' beer, and only for 4 days or so. Not sure if it works in more humid states.

 

[jsmcclure]

I find that the first 3-4 days are the heat generating part of fermentation. If I keep the carboy cooled for that time it will settle out to ambient temperature for the remainder of the time.

 

[mmonteiro]

i tried using a swamp cooler last time, but i guess the water was too cold, and i shocked the yeast. what water temperature would you guys suggest?

 

[Yooper]

i tried using a swamp cooler last time, but i guess the water was too cold, and i shocked the yeast. what water temperature would you guys suggest?

I keep the water about 60-62 degrees, if that is my desired fermentation temperature. I don't do a swamp cooler, but instead a water bath, and then drop a frozen water bottle in it if it gets warmer.